Bulgarian Police Conduct 'Cigarettes' Special Ops

Several individuals were busted over cigarettes’ contraband in southern Bulgaria overnight. File Photo.

The Interior Ministry carried out a special operation codenamed “Cigarettes,” the institution’s Head, Tsvetan Tsvetanov informs.

The operation was conducted Thursday night into Friday morning.

The alleged ringleader of a crime group, dealing with the illegal sale of cigarettes, was arrested in the city of Pazardzhik and 68 master boxes were found in his minivan. 5 000 boxes of cigarettes were discovered in the town of Panagyurishte, 5 master boxes were found in the car of another arrested individual in the town of Peshtera, and 7 master boxes were seized in Belovo.

In addition, two individuals have been arrested in the southern city of Sliven over possession of illegal cigarettes.

Police have also busted a channel for contraband cigarettes in the areas of Sliven, the southern city of Yambol and the Black Sea city of Burgas. In 3 raided facilities in the coastal town of Nessebar, the authorities have found illegal cigarettes, which have been distributed in the entire coastal area.

Cigarettes’ contraband is said to be booming in Bulgaria and is one of the main problems of the Customs Agency and the Interior. Since the beginning of the year, the quantities that are subject to excise are down 34% while the revenues from cigarettes are down 13%, according to the Customs Agency data.

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